Good Intentions
by Sa-kun
Summary: They meant well, both Kai and Rei knew that, and yet...sometimes, it was more amusing to string them along than play into their hands./KaRe/


**Disclaimer:** Do not own.

**Warnings: **The usual? Gayness? Horrid cliché-ness? Veiled sarcasm?

I'll leave it up to you were I got the...original...idea...for this fic.

Enjoy.

* * *

_/first attempt._

Rei stared with a sort of resigned, disbelieving expression on his face. They were in a _supply closet_. The door was not only closed, but locked as well, and to make matters worse, the lights were off and the switchto turn them on was _outside_, in the _hallway_. Currently, their only means of light was the muted glow of a green glowstick he had been given earlier that day, and there were four of them. But seeing as each stick had about twelve hours of light in them, he didn't think there'd be any shortage on that department. Because, truth to be told, he seriously doubted they'd be stuck in a _supply closet_ for more than twelve hours (and if they were, he'd slowly go crazy, he was sure, so it wouldn't matter either way).

"Hm? Kai?"

"Nothing," came the mutter against his ear as Kai continued to slide his arms around Rei's waist, hands going for the threeglowsticks tucked in Rei's sash that had yet to be cracked and activated. _Snap_, shake, _snap_, shake, _snap_, shake. Each stick was thrown on the ground as it began to glow, and the green light changed to brighter, yellowish green, sort of...cyan and then settled on something...dull, muted and purplish pink. "You got your phone?"

Rei shook his head. "Max borrowed it. Yours?"

"Charging."

"Ah." Rei relaxed back against Kai and closed his eyes. "I'm hungry," he murmured.

"I'm claustrophobic," came Kai's mumble against his ear again.

Rei blinked. "Seriously?" Kai nodded, and the grip around Rei's waist tightened. "Oh..." Twisting around, Rei did the first thing that occurred to him. Cupping Kai's face in his hands, thumbs rubbing softly under the closed eyes, Rei leaned up and kissed him. Kai didn't really protest, but he didn't exactly relax either, and he remained tenser than Rei would have liked. The hands that moved lower, from his back to his bottom, and squeezed somewhat gently, gave Rei the idea that he was still doing something right, at least.

After all, what was so different between making out in a dark supply closet with a faint glow, and an unlit bedroom, where the only light provided came from the city outside?

**-x-**

A crash outside the door startled them both from their nap, and Kai lifted his head from Rei's lap. "Did I-?"

"Hello!" Rei called.

There was a drawn-out silence. "Kon?"

"Yuriy?"

Again, another lengthy silence, then, "...why are you in a closet, Kon?"

"Just get us out, Ivanov," Kai growled, slowly standing and Rei nimbly picked himself up from the floor as well. They blinked against the bright light as the door swung open.

Arms crossed, Yuriy leaned against the doorframe, eyebrow raised. "You were locked in a closet."

"Yes."

Yuriy smirked. "That's gay."

"Shut up."

* * *

_/second attempt._

"They all cancelled?"

Kai shrugged, "seems that way, doesn't it?"

Rei sighed as well, then shrugged and grinned. "That means we don't have to endure three hours of sappy romance, doesn't it?"

"I have trained you well," Kai drawled. "Cinema or food?"

"Both." Rei's grin turned evil. "We could have a date."

Kai scoffed, "whatever for?"

"I don't know. For the...fun of it? It's not like it's unrelated, you know? Grabbing something to eat and then watch a film of some kind for cheap entertainment."

"There's an even better one at home, Rei, and it's free." Kai gave Rei a pointed look.

"We can do that, too," Rei was quick to add, but he still grabbed Kai's arm by the elbow and tugged him along. "But now I feel like eating out, go to the cinema and enjoy our free time." Rei winked, "at least we aren't in a supply closet this time."

Kai rolled his eyes, "oh yes, definitely an improvement," and yanked his arm out of Rei's grip. When they walked, they were still close enough so that their shoulders brushed together ever so often. "So, Rei," Kai mumbled, a smile playing at his lips, "do I pay for this 'date' of ours?"

Rei blinked. "You can buy the food, and I'll pay for the film."

"Fair enough," Kai conceded. Then, "I think you need a new attack ring."

"Yeah, either that or the core's unbalanced. I'll have a look at it tomorrow."

**-x-**

"So," Hiromi grinned, "had a good time last night? You got in pretty late, I'm told."

Yawning slightly, Rei shrugged. "We 'bladed for a few hours after the film, and then we got hungry again. And Kai was right," he added, fiddling with his beyblade, "I do need a new attack ring...see," he held it out for Hiromi to see, "it's cracked, don't see how I could've missed it earlier..."

Hiromi looked oddly disappointed as she nodded, glancing briefly at Rei's beyblade. "What film did you watch, then?"

"Resident Evil. Weird, I tell you."

* * *

_/third attempt._

"A twin bed," Kai stated numbly. Rei blinked and cocked his head slightly. "Seriously?"

Max grimaced slightly as he shrugged. "We only got four rooms, and, well...you know how Kyouju is. It wouldn't really be fair to force him into something he's really against. Besides," and Max actually paled slightly, "I have to share with Hitoshi..."

"We could switch," Rei offered. "I could sleep with Hitoshi instead, if you feel more comfortable with Kai, Max."

Max shook his head, "no...thanks, Rei, but it's...it's the same no matter how we switch around, isn't it?"

"I suppose it is, yeah," Rei admitted sheepishly.

To make matters worse, the small rooms weren't even equipped with sofas. A bed and a bedside table, and that was it.

**-x-**

Later that night, after dinner at a nice restaurant, Kai and Rei stood, shoulder to shoulder, and stared sceptically at their bed. "I could sleep on the floor," Rei offered, but Kai shook his head,

"I'd rather have you sleep on top off me, suffocating as that may be."

"You calling me fat, Hiwatari?"

Kai rolled his eyes, "Oh yes, you're practically obese, Kon," he said sarcastically and Rei pursed his lips. "I was referring to the fact that it's in the middle of the summer, and it's likely to get unbearably hot."

"I see," Rei said solemnly, seriously. "We have to sleep naked, don't we?"

"At the very least," came Kai's grave response.

"You say it like it's a bad thing."

"I do, don't I?"

Rei nodded, hands on Kai's shoulders, then on the buttons of Kai's light shirt, already deftly undoing them. "Let's see if we can't remind you of the perks being naked has, eh?"

Grinning, Kai reached for the clasp holding Rei's hair bind in place, then thought better of it and went for the fastenings on his Chinese top instead. All that hair, the heat of summer, such a small bed...it couldn't be very comfortable, could it?

**-x-**

"Kai!" a heavy knock on the door. "Rei!" another knock.

With a hastily wrapped towel around his waist, hair dripping, Rei inched the door open and poked his head out. "What?"

"Oh." Hiromi blushed. "You're awake. Good. The bus'll be here in half an hour."

* * *

_/fourth attempt._

"-so that's when I stormed off. I don't know why I got so angry. I mean, it's nothing new; I've never let it bother me before, but...I don't know..."

Kai's arm, resting along the back of the sofa, slid down slightly and the warmth comforted Rei enough to relax and give Kai a minuscule smile.

"I guess I just never thought of myself as gay...but being told by a reporter that I'm a phony fake, an attention seeker, and then a misguided, confused child by the other one...it's like being told I don't exist when I know I do; we know." Rei paused and turned to look at Kai. "You do know, don't you?"

"No, Rei, please; do remind me, I fear I have already forgotten the enthusiastic greeting I received yesterday." Kai rolled his eyes affectionately. "So you didn't confirm or deny?"

"I called them prejudiced idiots, Kai, and _stormed _from the room. I must've given the BBA hell...like they didn't have enough to write about after that date-thing..."

Kai shifted slightly. "I thought we agreed on calling it an experiment."

"Of course, love," Rei murmured, voice heavy with irony.

"You two," Max called, and sat on the arm rest, "up for a film night?" Both Kai and Rei were about to protest, when Max added, "I picked the film."

**-x-**

"Scoot!" Max demanded, a bowl of popcorn in his hand and a glass of coke in the other.

Rei stopped, mid-sentence, and eloquently said, "huh?"

"Move! I'm not sitting on the floor with Takao again just so you can hog the couch all to yourself. Again." Max made a shooing motion with the bowl.

Rei rolled his eyes, "-any way, Kai, I just don't see it that way," he slipped an arm around Kai's waist, and Kai went with it, then he was sort of sitting on Rei's lap. "I'd like to believe that family would be important to me if I had one."

"Still, Rei," Kai shifted a bit to get more comfortable, "you wouldn't know until-"

Max gaped, then shook his head.

**-x-**

They were about thirty minutes into the film when Takao shouted, "Rei!"

"Yes?"

"It's your turn to grab snacks."

"We don't want snacks," Kai answered, eyes half closed. Rei hummed an agreement, stifling a yawn.

"How long is this film?"

"Three hours," Max promptly replied and grinned at Rei, before turning back to the television again.

There were horses this time, Rei noted, and warriors. He shifted slightly, then spread his legs. Kai grunted in surprise as he quite suddenly slipped down between them, craned his head and glared at Rei. "What?" Kai's eyes narrowed. "Your ass is bony, you know! And damned heavy after a while, too." Rei lifted a leg over the armrest and sighed contently. Kai snorted, but he had to admit it was more comfortable that way, and leaned back against Rei's chest, head resting lazily on Rei's shoulder and eyes almost closed again.

"You look like a damned pair of fags, you know that?" Takao suddenly snorted.

"Shut up," Kai groused, "it's _much _more comfortable than sitting on the _hard _floor." He crossed his legs, shifting for a better position, but instantly stilled as Rei cleared his throat, in a rather pointed way. So perhaps the floor wasn't the only hard thing around... "more comfortable indeed," he murmured under his breath so that only Rei could hear.

Rei shifted slightly, and something told him that Rei was uncomfortable. His ears were probably bright red... "Shut up, Kai," he hissed

Takao's eyes narrowed, "Max-"

"No," came the instant reply, "you have a girlfriend."

"Yeah, but-"

"Takao," Rei's voice sounded strained, Kai thought, "grab a pillow if you're that uncomfortable."

"Want me to move?" But Rei shook his head, so Kai remained where he was, comfortably propped up against Rei's chest.

* * *

_/interlude._

"Nothing?!" Hiromi exclaimed.

Takao, Max and Kyouju all shrugged. "Not really," one of them muttered.

"Yeah...either they don't actually like each other at all-"

"-or they've been together all along," Max finished for Kyouju.

"Mao said she didn't know if Rei was together with someone, and that she _would _know if he were. Takao, what about your brother?"

Takao scoffed. "Bastard keeps smirking at us. He knows something!"

* * *

_/fifth attempt._

"This happens a lot, you say?"

Rei shifted, tracing patterns with his scuffed shoes on the pebbled ground. "Occasionally."

Hitoshi raised an eyebrow, "Oh, really?"

"They wanted to go the cinema, once, but never showed up. Sort of like this, actually." Only, they were in the park, now, waiting in line to buy ice-cream. Rei was thinking strawberry.

"Your and Hiwatari's famous 'date'."

Rei snorted. "Oh, it was hardly a date. No flowers, no jewellery, no cheesy romance films, no moonlit walk through the park," he ticked everything off on his fingers as he spoke, eyes sparkling merrily. He pursed his lips slightly, suddenly thoughtful, "though he did buy me dinner, and I did pay for his ticket..."

"Where is he now, then?"

"His grandmother turned seventy-five, yesterday. Family dinner, today. Apparently, she only wanted a small acknowledgement instead of a full-blown dinner party." Rei briefly ignored Hitoshi as he made his order (strawberry and pecan ice-cream in a cup) and paid for it, smiling politely at the fairly stressed out looking girl.

"So," Hitoshi continued as they sat down on an unoccupied bench under a tree, enjoying the brief shadow from the sun, "why aren't you with him, then?"

Rei frowned. "Why would I be?" Hitoshi merely raised an eyebrow. Rei smiled sheepishly. "Oh. You meant like that. Well, his parents know and all, but his grandparents aren't as...open-minded. I'm not really sure what Kai's parents told them, but whatever it was resulted in me staying here and him going alone. His other grandmother's really perverted, though. On his father's side, that is. She's this mischievous, sneaky old lady who giggles all the time."

* * *

_/sixth attempt._

Kai suppressed a yawn, but not the insistent urge to rub his eyes a little more awake. God, these dinner functions were certainly boring. But he had to wonder. He certainly wasn't complaining, but he was admittedly intrigued as to how Hiromi, because it had to have been her, had managed to get Rei to be his...dinnerdate.

"Kai," Rei suddenly murmured quite close to his ear, "the BBA set us up."

Kai frowned. "What?"

"Look around."

Shrugging, Kai did. And blinked. "Ah."

"Apparently, someone was a bit...displeased with the...stereotypical way our sport is handled," Rei sounded like he was only just holding back a desperate urge to laugh.

Kai raised an eyebrow, silently saying what he couldn't be arsed to actually say aloud, 'you don't say?' Then after a few seconds, "and it's suddenly appropriate now?"

Rei shrugged, smiling playfully. "I don't know. More wine, dear?" he winked.

Kai rolled his eyes and shook his head, "whatever, sweetheart."

"'Sweatheart'?" he grimaced.

"Well," Kai smirked, "had I used the 'K-word'-"

"Don't go there."

"I wasn't. How did it go at practice this morning? Takao's still-"

"-out of it?" Rei nodded emphatically. "Big time. Hiromi still won't talk to him."

Kai sighed, "what are they arguing about this time?"

"Hiromi says he never notices her. I'd say he doesn't notice anything _but _her. Remember that time he almost chopped that tree down on his house?" Kai actually grinned, and Rei winked.

"Women," the young man sitting opposite to them snorted with a little wave of his hand.

"Oh, I don't know," Rei said airily, "she's pretty reasonable otherwise." Kai pointedly cleared his throat. "Well, sometimes, anyway."

"She used _astronomy _books to determine how to best divide us into teams, Rei. How is that reasonable?"

"It worked, didn't it?"

"Statistics would have told her that, _much_ faster."

* * *

_/seventh attempt._

Kai heard the cries and laughters, the surprised yell, the splash and the sudden silence. "Kai!" Stretching lazily and arching his back, Kai slowly sat up and opened his eyes. Max was standing in front of him. "Rei fell in," he gasped, before turning around and running back down to the edge of the water. "Kai!"

Kai exhaled loudly, then stood up. _Fell, or was pushed? _he wondered silently as he stood and strode down the slope. Crouching by the edge of the water, breeze ruffling his hair, Kai lowered his sunglasses enough to stare over the rim and meet Rei's annoyed eyes. "Rei."

"Kai."

The water sloshed against the concrete wall. "Rei."

"Takao pushed me in."

Immediately, Takao was there, protesting and waving his arms. Kai raised an eyebrow, glanced at Rei, then nudged Takao in the back. Arms flailing, the boy landed in the water with a half-uttered squeal of surprise.

"_Kai_!"

Kai grinned. "Oops?"

Rei grinned as well as he swam closer to the wall and reached up, his hands catching the edge. Grabbing his wrists, Kai pulled and Rei gasped. Then Takao pushed under his feet, and Rei felt almost like he was flying as he flew from the water and crashed into Kai. They landed on the ground with a heavy, shared, grunt.

Closing his eyes, Kai lay still. "You are soaking me."

Rei moved, straddling him, and sat up. He rolled his shoulders, "I'm cold," he said and promptly sneezed.

"Yeah?" Kai opened an eye. "Take off your clothes, then. In this heat, it's not like you'll be cold for that much longer." Tilting his head back, he had to admit that Rei looked very good in soaked clothing; they were moulded against him, revealing and wonderful, Kai thought. Almost like when he was naked-

"Stop that train of thought right now, Kai." Kai simply smirked, then reached up for the fastenings of Rei's top. Rei started slightly, then rolled his eyes and went back to trying to squeeze the water from his hair.

Rei shivered as Kai's hands trailed down the front of his chest, then back up, his hands slipping under the shirt, stroking the skin and slowly pushing thepiece of clothing back. Rei let go of his hair, and allowed Kai to slide the shirt all the way off. Kai's eyes fastened on a spot just below Rei's collarbone, and his lips curled into a sort of smirk. Eyes widening subtly, Rei's hands flew up to cover the spot.

"Sorry," came Kai's very insincere apology.

Rei rolled his eyes, then flopped off Kai and rolled onto his stomach as he stretched out on the grass to dry. Wringing out Rei's top, Kai spread it out on the ground above Rei's head then lay down as well and closed his eyes.

"You should probably take of your shorts, too-"

"I'll be just fine, thank you."

* * *

_/eighth attempt._

If asked, Kai would probably, maybe, depending on the asker, confess that he had had a _little _too much to drink. As it were, though, he was more than content to simply lean back against the plush cushions of the couch and watch as the cars drove by on the street. Their lights flashed so prettily...he was, of course, rather content to just sit back and watch Rei, too, but Rei had disappeared awhile ago, Mao in tow. It had been a few months, so there was no doubt much to catch up on.

"Hi, Kai," Hiromi singsonged as she fell down on the couch next to Kai, all playful smiles and twinkling eyes, cheeks flushed pink by the alcohol Kai had seen her consume earlier. "Where's your Rei?"

Kai blinked, "'my'?"

Hiromi laughed and patted his shoulder, "oh, you know what I mean!"

Bemused, Kai raised his eyebrows and nodded. "You're drunk," he stated.

Waving him off, she leaned closer, eyes bright. "Well? Where is he?"

"With Mao, probably."

"Mao?"

"Mm," Kai nodded. "She's been in Spain."

"Oh..." Hiromi stared, eyes unfocused, at something just below Kai's collarbone. "I want a Piñacolada..."

"You're drunk," he repeated.

Hiromi huffed, then exclaimed, "kiss me!"

He narrowed his eyes. "_No_," Kai drawled.

"A-ha!" she poked him on the breastbone, suddenly looking very satisfied. "You _are_ gay."

"Okay," he said, very slowly, very sceptically and rolled his eyes, "you're _way _past pissed."

"I am not-Rei!" Rei started, having only just entered the room, and whirled around, Mao attached to his arm and they both stared wide-eyed at her. "Come here!"

"Hiromi?" he asked softly.

"Kiss me."

Rei frowned, then shook his head, "no. Why?"

Hiromi grinned brightly, then stage whispered, "you're gay too!"

"Hiromi," Rei placed a hand on her shoulder, "you have a boyfriend, and he is one of my best friends; I would _never _kiss you."

Hiromi bit her lip, then nodded slowly. "I see," she said, suddenly rather solemn. Stepping away, Rei sat down on the armrest, just next to Kai. "We should play a game!" she declared and jumped off, no doubt to collect players.

Kai stared at Rei.

"Kai?"

"I like your eyes."

Rei's eyes narrowed slightly, and he smiled, bemused, "I like yours, too, Kai."

"Drink?"

**-x-**

"I have never kissed a _girl_," Takao grinned and took a large sip. His eyes swept around the room as most of the people in it did the same, except... "Aha! Kai!"

Kai glared, arms crossed. "What?"

"You've never _kissed_?"

Kai smirked, then said, quite clearly, "I have never _kissed_," and slowly raised his glass to his lips and sipped from the...fuzzy concoction Max had come up with. It tasted like...something fruity. With alcohol. Takao gaped, then hurriedly drank before the rest could put down their drinks and thus have the opportunity to laugh at him.

Rei laughed, "good one, Kai. How about this: I have _never_ stared down a woman's shirt." His grin grew even brighter and more scary as he clutched his own glass to his chest and stared out over the room with, a bit _too_ bright, expectant eyes. Takao was still gaping, but this time at Rei, because Kai _was_ taking a cautious sip.

"I am going to kill you for this, Rei," Mao muttered as she was forced to take a drink. Kissing someone of the same sex wasn't that unusual, after all, but blatantly checking out their breasts? Oh yes, that _was_ gay.

Rei just grinned, then raised an eyebrow at Kai. "I was curious," he grouched, mumbling.

"Max?"

Max blinked, then tore his gaze away from the floor and blinked. Blinked. "Oh! I know! I have never, never _ever _thought that Kai has a _really _nice ass!" Then he proceeded to take a very generous drink from the bottle in his hand. Rei looked sort of startled, then laughed and emptied his glass along with Hiromi.

"Here," Kai pressed a bottle of something, beer probably, in his hand. Rei smiled in thanks.

"How about this," Mao suddenly said smoothly. "I have never felt the urge to have sex with a man?"

Rei's eyes narrowed and his lips pursed in a comical way. "I don't like you," he hissed.

"Touché," Mao winked, then waved at him and Rei sighed, then raised the bottle to his lips, as did Max and Hiromi, and after a non to subtle nudge, Kai downed the last of his drink.

"Max!" Takao cried, sounding almost scandalised. "Why do you have homosexual urges?"

Max's face lit up, "'cause I'm a horny bugger!" then he burst out laughing. Takao blinked, then started laughing as well.

"This is a silly game," Mao sniffed, arms crossed.

Kyouju nodded solemnly, a hand on her shoulder. "Yes. Yes it is, Mao. Very silly. The truest thing I've heard all night..."

"Oh, no," Rei lazily intervened, "the most true thing about this game is that I am going to run away with Kai, now. See you tomorrow!" That said, he he pulled Kai upright and wrapped an arm around his waist. Kai slowly wrapped Rei's long braid around his hand as they stumbled their way out of the room.

"You're sure they're not together?" they heard someone ask, and they both began laughing, giggling like the drunk they were. They stumbled into a wall, and the crash must have been louder than they thought, because the room their friends were still in fell suspiciously silent. "You okay out there?"

"We're splendid!" Kai's shoulders were shaking with silent laughter, eyes alight with mirth and...unveiled passion, Rei realised as familiar hands eased their way under his shirt. "Better than that, actually! Kai," Rei laughed, catching Kai's hands by the wrists.

"Rei."

"We should go to bed."

"You should," Hitoshi intoned from somewhere behind. He pointed at a door down the hallway. "That way."

**-x-**

"My head is hurting."

"My wrist is hurting."

"My throat is hurting."

"My chest hurts when I breathe."

Rei lolled his head to the side, normally bright eyes dull, but still warm. Kai's lips twitched into a thin smile.

"Think they're on to us yet?"

Kai scoffed, "hardly."

"But we were so open!" Rei pretended to gasp, eyes twinkling and Kai rolled his eyes. "And drunk," he added with a moan as his antics made his headache escalate. Huffing, he reached out and grabbed a pillow-

"Hey!" Kai glared, almost pouting as his head landed on the bed and Rei chuckled, scooting away. "That pillow is-"

"-now in my possession!" Rei grinned cheekily, clutching the soft pillow to his chest. He squeaked, then began laughing again as Kai dove after him, warm hands catching his sides, rubbing and poking.

"It's mine, though."

Rei narrowed his eyes. "Maybe," he admitted slowly, petulantly. "But I have it now." he stilled suddenly, looking quite pale and Kai paused. "I don't feel so good..." Relinquishing the pillow, he placed it next to his head, then closed his eyes. He sort of moaned, sort of sighed, as arms closed around him and legs tangled with his own.

* * *

_/ninth attempt._

"...what the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Hiromi started, blushed, then grinned. "Isn't he gorgeous?"

Kai frowned. "No?"

"Ha!" Rei exclaimed, but didn't move from his chair or even open his eyes. "I told you so, Hiromi." The left side of his face was sparkling, dozens of tiny, glittering golden sequins glued to his skin, catching the light.

"But-"

"He's wearing a stuffed _bra_, Hiromi! How is that gorgeous?! He isn't a girl."

"He's a _man_!" Rei added with a flourish. "A man who wanted to dress up as a pirate, but who _Hiromi_ wanted to dress up as a fey creature from some exotic place, wearing a skimpy dress and tights! Kai!" he cried, suddenly scandalised, eyes flying open, "she wanted me to shave my legs and wear _tights_!" He narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips, "but I do kinda like the golden stuff on my face. It's...catchy. I'll be an exotic assassin, instead, I think. I'm borrowing your black coat, Kai. The long, tight one."

Kai shrugged and flopped down on his bed with a sigh. "Whatever. Just get that thing off. You look ridiculous."

"Oh, I know," Rei groaned. With tightly pursed lips, Hiromi pushed him up from the chair and reached to undo the clasps. "Do you know how ridiculously complicated these things are to get on?"

"I'll take your word for it," Kai said dryly.

"Why not find out for yourself?" Hiromi asked.

Kai snorted and shook his head, "because I don't have an urge to dress up as a woman."

"Hm.." Hiromi blinked, folding the bra in her hands. "I was thinking more along the lines of future relationships, Kai, but suit yourself."

"Oh, he always does," Rei murmured, then sat down on the bed, his hair pulled forth over his shoulder, brush resting in his lap. He felt Kai sit up behind him, and undo the clasp, releasing the pressure on his hair. With the clasp gone, the only thing keeping his hair secure, it was just a matter of unwinding the white cloth that held his hair back. He shivered as Kai's fingers disappeared into his hair.

Suddenly, Hiromi seemed to be a little _too _close and eager looking. "No," Rei said without giving her a chance to speak.

"But-"

"No."

"_Rei_," she protested, her eyes bright and pleading.

"No, Hiromi. I don't like people touching my hair."

Kai stilled, as did Rei once he realised that the reason he'd felt so relaxed was because Kai had been, however unconsciously, combing through his hair with his fingers, and Hiromi narrowed her eyes. Kai did that quite often, Rei realised, but Hiromi most certainly didn't need to know that. Then Kai pulled back and turned on his side, facing away.

"Hiromi-!" he called out before she could storm the room. She stopped and turned around, arms crossed. "How do you do high ponytails?"

"Bend over and throw your hair over your head." Hiromi tilted her head back. "Maybe yours is too long, though..." She suddenly looked very pleased and smug as she offered, "I could help you, you know."

"She got you there," Kai mumbled from behind him.

"Can't you do it?" he asked Kai.

"Why don't you like people touching your hair, Rei?" Hiromi was crouching on front of him, curious.

"Because," Rei said, "growing up as a boy with long hair tended to make _girls_ tug at it, and then get upset when I told them to stop because they didn't understand that my hair wasn't a public playground. And the _boys _would tug harder and call me a pansy." Rei blinked, then shook his head, "well, no, they didn't, actually. Long hair is honourable, but they did get upset and jealous with me because the girls paid so much attention to me. Besides, it's _my _hair."

"Hm."

"It's really soft," Kai suddenly said.

"Kai," Rei warned.

"Oh, yeah, Hiwatari!" the girl exclaimed, "brag all you want!" Hiromi narrowed her eyes, then pulled the hair tie she had around her wrist off and gave it to Rei. "Pull your bangs together, and then we'll work on...the rest. You have a brush, don't you? And watch your make-up- No, don't rub your eyes!"

**-x-**

The tight, tight tank top, and the awfully snug trousers, hugging Rei's hips and arse, and when he walked...Kai had yet to look away, his eyes just that bit too unfocused.

Rei had gone for exotic, masculine assassin, and Kai was lost.

It was the colour, he suspected (and the tightness of the clothes themselves) that made Rei go from sensually sexy to dangerously, irresistibly, irrefutably sexy. Because black _really _brought out _everything _that was sinuous and sexual in his (oh, yes, Kai was _very_ proud of that fact) boyfriend. Kai had never been much for make-up, and he had, on more than one occasion, cursed Hiromi for taking so long when they had to go, _now_, but she just _had_ to apply what little make-up she actually used. Even Kai was aware that Hiromi used the cosmetics sparingly, and self-consciously. But, tonight, on Rei...the golden sequins and the black lining his eyes, making them even more golden...oh, he was hot. And dark and dangerous.

"Wow, Rei..." Kai's eyes narrowed, and he glared at Max, who was staring, gaping, at Rei. "You're...man, you're hot!"

"Isn't he?" Hiromi grinned. "I wanted him to go as a woman, but this...this is so much better! I can see why Kai thought my original plan ridiculous."

"I said that, too, you know," Rei said self-consciously and crossed his arms over his chest. Strong, lithe arms.

"Got your eye on someone special, then, eh?" Max winked, and nudged Rei pointedly.

Rei shrugged, "not really, no."

"Come on, Rei," Max cried, "you could have anyone you wanted!"

Kai shifted as Rei's eyes, those wonderful, yellow, passionate eyes, settled on him. He found himself swallowing, hard, and and crossing his arms. Looking away, Rei almost smirked, eyebrow raised, "oh, I don't know, Max...I already have the one I want. Why risk it? Though, I have to admit," and Max's eyes widened as Rei took a step closer, "you do look absolutely dashing-"

"Rei."

"Kai." Kai glared at Rei's anything but innocent smile, and grabbed him by his arm. Rei's eyes lit up. "Jealous?"

He narrowed his eyes, "_no._"

"You, my Kai," Rei said softly, darkly, "are a terrible liar."

**-x-**

Rei stared blankly at his cup of tea. It was sort of brown, and not very interesting to look at, he reflected, but it was not enough inspiration to look away. He yawned.

"Late night?" Hiromi mumbled through a yawn.

"Mm," Rei rubbed his eyes and nodded. Very late. Playful and passionate night...silly night. Probably inspired but tiredness and a slight addition of alcohol. And costumes.

"Morning, Kai."

Kai glared, grunted something and sat down next to Rei, nudging him to move slightly as he did so. Rei blinked lethargically, "did I wake you?" Kai's eyes narrowed, and he grabbed Rei by the chin. "Love?"

"Didn't get my kiss," he mumbled.

"Sorry," Rei sort of yawned, and gave Kai a quick peck on the mouth before pulling back. "Tea?"

"Hm...sure," Kai shrugged.

"Wait, wait, wait a minute!" Hiromi held out her hands. "_That's it_?!" she exclaimed. "All that trouble; and _that's it_?!"

* * *

_/end._

"They have been together for _how _long!?"

"Um. Th-three years."

* * *

Until next time, dears.


End file.
